Deceptive Gemstones | Unboxing Apatite
Join Rob as he unboxes gemstone specimens that have fooled gemologists for hundreds of years. The apatite group is made up of three different minerals, fluorapatite, chlorapatite, and hydroxylapatite, so apatite is not a single mineral. Most of the gemstones in this apatite group are a combination of all three minerals. The colors of this group come in hues of brown, yellow, green, orange, blue, orange, and even colorless. It is also found in cat's eye, and this is highly sought after.
The blue and yellow species can be easily found in sizes over 5 carats; some rare experiences have found over 100 carats a gemstone! Some have mistaken neon varieties of apatite for Paraíba tourmaline. Apatite ranks five on the Mohs hardness scale, making it a fragile gemstone careful for jewelry wearing. You won't want to miss these deliciously colored gemstones!